The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-10
DIPLOMACY AT THE CASINO.

Some of the Plots of the Schemers.
NEW YORK, Oct. S.-The Casino is rap
dly becoming the home of diplomacy. No
where outside of the Press Club is politics so
rampant, and the amount of scheming and
manPuvring that go on in the leading light
opera house in America would put even the
suave and polished fellows of the Theatre
Francais to the blush. The Casino engages
a great many people for its various compa-
nies and the struggle of outsiders to get
within the charmed circle is only equaled by
the labors of those already in the companies
to get hold of the managerial reins. The
most consummate and fathomless of these is
the comedian Francis Wilson. He is tao
tician of the deeper school. While merrily
capering about the stage, and apparently
giving himself up to abandon, hilarity and
glee he is in reality laying deep and cum
ming plans for the entrapment of Rudolph
ArOnson. The latter gentleman is mean
while tucked snugly away in his office,
keeping a wary eye on Wilson and di-
recting a wealth of legal ability toward
forming q contract that no actor can break.
When Wilson recently made an arrange
ment with Col. McCaull to play at Wallack's
Theatre next summer in opposition to the
Casino despite the fact that he was drawing
S25, 600 q year salary from that house, he
achieved what was generally regarded as a
triumph OF diplomacy by the McCaull party
and dastardly bit of double dealing by the
Aronson faction. The news Of the arrange.
ment was being carefully nurtured into a
boom for publication the following Sunday
when the facts came to my knowledge and
printed them week ahead The secret
had been carefully nursed, and there was
some speculation as to my sources OF inspra-
tiOn. There was no mystery about 1t. One
of the interested parties called on me and
gave me the details before the ink on the
contracts was dry.
discovered last night through similar
ly responsible source that there has been
another move on the part of the schemers.
Wilson's old contract with the Casino ends
May next. His new Casino contract be-
gins Sept 10. This gives him four months
vacation which he told Mr.. Aronson he
would spend in Europe Instead he buys
Sydney Rosenfeld's opera, The Lady or
the Tiger" takes it to McCaull and agrees
to play the leading role during his so-called
vacation" This action in running in
active rivalry TO the house where he was
already under an enormous salary caused
AN immense amount of talk Everywhere
the action of Wilson has been commented
upon freely, and the squabble over
the new opera of The Lady or the Tiger"
has been telegraphed all over the American
continent ard cabled to Europe The piece
mendous value 1t is already well known
to newspaper readers, though it will not be
produced for seven months. Now it begins
TO look as though the scheming was deeper
than even the most careful observers
thought, for | learn on excellent authority
that Wilson is not going to play the part at
all and his whole action in the matter was
in the nature of bluff. Mr.. De Wolf
Hopper will create the role in 1.-THE Lady or
the Tiger" despite all the talk to the con-
trary.
All of which teaches us that there are
several ways of achieving notoriety and
getting free advertising. But one thing
remains to be noted, and that is that if ''The
Lady or the Tiger" should be failure what
an exceedingly neat grind it will be on the
conspirators and diplomatists who have
been engineering this mighty plot. As Mr..
Rosenfelds operas are prone to failure, it
may be that more wisdom will lurk in Will
sons head seven months hence than turks
there now-though it's a wise head just the
same. BLAKELY HALL.